Coffee Release: Trail Boots Edition
COFFEE COLLAB NOW AVAILABLE
We worked with The Pinery Coffee Co. to create a collab coffee to support the Ice Age Trail Alliance in Wisconsin. This Costa Rica washed-honey processed and medium roasted coffee is the perfect complement to a walk in the woods.
We already shared our Coffee People podcast episode recorded at The Pinery Coffee Co. during our coffee release party earlier this year. Consider this an addendum with a few more photos, videos, and tidbits from the day (and beyond).
Ryan Woldt
Consider this a two-minute check back.* I wanted to reshare our efforts to support the Ice Age Trail Alliance. The IATA raises funds through grants, foundations, and public support. That money goes towards connecting all the trail segments—1,200 miles through private and public lands—by purchasing or leasing land, maintaining the trails, and restoring plant and animal habitats. Beyond that, they've created thriving youth outdoor education programs, a multitude of opportunities to explore and enjoy the trails, and an online resource offering maps, information, and much more. It's an effort I find great value in, and I hope you do too.
Explore the trail online. Plan your hike, find the perfect campsite, and more. Explore all there is to see and do on the Trail right here.
The Pinery coffee collab was developed with the intent to support the trail. I've committed to donating our share of any sales of the coffee to the IATA. Our presenting sponsor, Roastar, Inc., donated the packaging, and The Pinery Coffee Co. is handling all the roasting and sales while making the Ice Age Trail Alliance the recipient of one of their monthly give-back efforts that goes well beyond the sales of this coffee to include a percentage of in-store revenues.
And, you...you get to support the trail by buying and drinking a great cup of coffee.
Tasting notes: Chocolate, honey, and a sense of citrus.
*Shout out to anyone who has ever worked as a server in a cafe or restaurant. Drop those plates, make a lap, and it is time for the two-minute check back.
From our Coffee Release party at The Pinery Coffee Co.
JUST FOR FUN-ISH
Justin Vernon a.k.a. Bon Iver was a classmate and friendly acquaintance when we were both religious studies and philosophy students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. What are the odds that Wisconsin kids with limited real-life work skills would become famous entertainers?* He recently announced his "retirement," and launched a search for his replacement in this clever music video.
*I realize that hosting a minor coffee podcast and winning multiple Grammys are not the same, but he'll catch up eventually. I kid! I kid!
Before he was Bon Iver, Justin played in a local band called DeYarmond Edison at venues like the Stones Throw in downtown Eau Claire. The breakup of that band led directly to his effort on the classic For Emma, Forever Ago. The music of DeYarmond Edison had a bluesier vibe. Justin hadn't yet discovered the falsetto that would push him into the mainstream and lead to collaborations with (at the time less controversial) Kanye West and our future President, Taylor Swift.
If you're feeling a bit melancholy, Justin's side project, The Shouting Matches, combines some of the Bon Iver falsetto and the DeYarmond Edison blues with a grittier edge and a dash of jazz. The song, "I Had A Real Good Lover," is one of my favorites. Listen, and then check out some of his other side projects like Gayngs, Volcano Choir, and The Big Red Machine.
